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Friday February 13

chicksdaddy writes: President Obama travels to Stanford University on Friday to join Apple CEO Tim Cook in talking about the need for more private-public sector cooperation to fight cyber crime. But technology industry executives attending the White House Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection complain that a major obstacle to cooperation is a lack of legislative action that clarify the rules of the road for private firms when it comes to sharing information about customers with the government and each other. The controversy over government surveillance has put the ball in the government's court, said Michael Brown, RSA's Global Public Sector Vice President. "They need to articulate what amount of access to private information is 'appropriate and legal' for law enforcement and the government," Brown said. "It's not just about 'when, where, and how.' They also need to clearly articulate 'why' – for example: this is a matter of public safety and this is the only way we can...

As we mentioned earlier this week, Apple CEO Tim Cook is in attendance at the White House Summit on cybersecurity today at Stanford University where he’s expected to discuss Apple, privacy, and security. Notably, Tim Cook is the only technology company chief executive participating in the event with the White House as CEOs at Facebook, Yahoo, and Google each declined deciding to send lower-level staff instead. Other CEOs in attendance include the heads of Apple Pay partners Bank of America and Visa as well as the chief executive officer of AIG. You can view a stream of the event below:

I believe Apple is truly a company that is always looking at the big picture, I really do. The iPhone and iPad and Mac all work together, using iTunes and iCloud and even Apple Pay as infrastructure, in a harmonious way. But at the same time, it’s hard not to look at the size of Apple’s iPhone business and wonder how the success of the iPhone affects Apple’s decision-making.

I’ve often made the same point. I don’t think Apple is truly ignoring the the other aspects of their business but the iPhone is definitely the 800 lb gorilla.

Apple is throwing the doors open to its online iWork suite, even for people who’ve never purchased Apple hardware.

The browser version of iWork—now 18 months old and still in beta—has always required an iCloud account. But until now, Apple hasn’t let people create an account without an iOS device or a Mac. As BetaNews reports, Apple’s iCloud site now offers a way to create an account straight from the browser, providing access to web versions of Pages, Numbers and Keynote.

Apple has added a new section to its App Store that features non-freemuim games. Called "Pay Once & Play," the new collection features games like Minecraft PE, Adventure Time Game Wizard (which my kids love), Bastion and Leo's Fortune...all games without in-app purchases. I can see the appeal of featuring theses titles.

As a reminder, you can easily disable in-app purchases on your kids' iPhones and iPads. Here's how:

Tap Settings, then General

Tap Restrictions and then Enable Restrictions

Enter a Restrictions passcode, one that your child can’t guess (1234 is out)

Scroll down and move the In-App Purchases slider to the Off position

That’s it. Your child can no longer make in-app purchases. I know many kids have their own iPod touches, iPhones and even iPads. If they’re young and not buying apps with their own money, you should do this. If you share an device with your kids, choose a...

Facebook this week announced ThreatExchange, an API-based platform for technology companies to share information on security threats. It had been working on the platform for about a year in a joint project with other prominent Internet firms. Facebook layered APIs on top of its existing platform infrastructure, so participants can query the available information and control which other participants they publish their information to, using a predefined set of data fields. ThreatExchange is based on Facebook's ThreatData threat analysis framework.

Apple has made its iWork suite of apps -- Numbers, Pages and Keynote -- free for everyone to try via iCloud Beta. It's restricted to the website for now, but anyone can create an Apple ID, and try out the browser-based apps with 1 GB of storage space to boot.

Our take on the news

There's certainly nothing wrong with making it easy for potential customers to try your products. But note that this extends beyond iWork. Many people will be creating an Apple ID, experiencing iCloud (in a limited capacity, mind you) and just a touch of the Apple ecosystem for the first time. I suspect at least a few will want to see what else iCloud can offer.

An Italian company called CoeLux has developed a new light source that recreates the look of sunlight through a skylight so well that it can trick both human brains and cameras.

The scientists who invented the light figured out how to use a thin coating of nanoparticles to accurately simulate sunlight through Earth’s atmosphere and the effect known as Rayleigh scattering. It’s not just the color temperature thats the same — the quality of the light feels the same as well.

This is just mindbogglingly cool. I have lived in basement apartments most of my life so I know the practical application of this in living spaces could be profound. I especially like the concept of “earthscrapers”.

This week’s roundup of apps includes two new offerings for editing and sharing images captured on your iPhone—plus TV, social media, and more.

Darkroom

It seems like every week brings a new iOS photo editor and Darkroom, a free offering for iPhone, well, it’s one of the newest. It comes with 12 filters, a version history so that you can easily correct editing mistakes, and the ability to create your own DIY filter sets.

Apple has started promoting games that don’t have any In-App Purchases on the front page of the App Store. Currently featured in the UK App Store and likely expanding to the U.S. store later today as part of the App Store’s weekly refresh, the section is called ‘Pay Once & Play’ and it showcases “great games” that don’t require users to pay for extra content through IAPs.

Facebook on Thursday announced a new feature for members who want to plan for their passing into the digital beyond. Initially rolled out in the United States, the feature allows Facebook members to appoint a "legacy contact" to administer their account when they die. Legacy contacts will, among other powers, have the authority to download an archive of the deceased member's public information, including photos, posts and profile information.

Investment firm BMO Capital Markets was the latest to increase its Apple price target this week in the face of the stock's huge gains, which are forecast to continue with the success of the iPhone 6 and upcoming launch of the Apple Watch.

Nike today released a long-awaited update to its FuelBand app for iPhone users with the fitness tracking FuelBand wearable adding support for sharing NikeFuel points with Apple’s Health app on iOS 8. The update also adds support for motion tracking right from the iPhone for iPhone 5s users and up and no longer requires a Nike FuelBand to use.

The new version uses HealthKit, a framework introduced with iOS 8, to let Nike’s FuelBand app share data easily and with your permission to Apple’s built-in Health app and other apps that integrate...

2011 MacBook Pros are experiencing a number of mysterious graphics failures, highlighting a weak spot in Apple’s customer service.

Read the full article at TidBITS, the oldest continuously published technology publication on the Internet. To get a full-text RSS feed, help support our work and become a TidBITS member! Members also enjoy an ad-free version of our Web site, email delivery of individual articles, the ability to make long comments with live links, and discounts on Take Control orders and other Apple-related products.

All too often, freemium games in the App Store feel a little scammy. Sure, you can download them for free, but many, many freemium games then sacrifice playability to squeeze nickels and dimes out of players—forcing you to pay to get past certain levels in a timely manner, or making you purchase digital goods to advance the game in any meaningful way. Pushing against that trend, Apple is now highlighting games without in-app purchases in a new section in the App Store.

David Carr, a writer who wriggled away from the demon of drug addiction to become an unlikely name-brand media columnist at The New York Times, and the star of a documentary about the newspaper, died on Thursday in Manhattan. He was 58.

An incredible loss for journalism and writing. I devoured everything he wrote, not because I agreed with everything he said but because he wrote so damn well. He will be sorely missed.

What better day than Friday the 13th to check that your backups are actually working by restoring some critical files?

Read the full article at TidBITS, the oldest continuously published technology publication on the Internet. To get a full-text RSS feed, help support our work and become a TidBITS member! Members also enjoy an ad-free version of our Web site, email delivery of individual articles, the ability to make long comments with live links, and discounts on Take Control orders and other Apple-related products.

yesterday we had PANIC error which resulted in all clients dismounting. As
users reported inability to access volume in XSAN Admin Ive noticed that
volume is stopped, but that lasted just for two seconds or so (probably
duration needed to XSAN Admin to refresh itself).

All in all disconnection lasted very short probably just few seconds and
volume started again.

We are running Mavericks XSAN single 75T volume. Can someone help us
identify the problem? Any help is appreciated. This would be first time we
are seeing this problem on our SAN.

Google and Mattel are holding a press event today to announce a new product that merges Google’s experimental Cardboard virtual reality platform with Mattel’s classic View-Master toy. Also announced at the event: Mattel plans to bring the new View-Master toy and with it Google’s Cardboard platform to the iPhone by the end of the year.

First announced in June of last year, the Cardboard platform utilizes an inexpensive VR headset constructed from cardboard to provide a virtual reality-like experience for Android apps. While the platform...

iOS and Android are completely different worlds when it comes to apps. Android is pretty much the wild west, with little control over quality or even safety (malware is commonplace). iOS, on a non-jailbroken device, is a walled garden, where Apple decides what apps can and can’t do, and which ones get approved for sale.

Yet despite that carefully-controlled approach, the App Store can still feel like a bit of a jungle. Which is why I wonder whether the Pinterest tie-in announced yesterday may offer hope for the future.

But let’s start with the problem I think needs to be solved, and that problem begins with search. Results may vary by country, and you can try the searches for yourself to compare your results with mine,...

Apple recently extended its two-step verification protections to two more services. The SMS-based security measure now covers FaceTime and iMessage in addition to iCloud and your Apple ID, as first reported by The Guardian.

The new security measure means that if you have two-step verification enabled, the next time you try to login to iMessage or FaceTime on a new device you will have to supply a code sent to your smartphone via text message in addition to logging in with your password. Apple's version of two-factor authentication does not work with authenticator smartphone apps.

Canadian rapper Drake has released an unexpected new mixtape album on iTunes, announcing it on Twitter as it went live. The album, entitled If you’re reading this it’s too late, was added to iTunes shortly before midnight ET …

The album, tagged as hip-hop/rap, has 17 tracks–and it will come as no surprise to anyone that every one of them is flagged as having explicit lyrics. The album includes collaborations with hip-hop artist Travi$ Scott, R&B singer PartyNextDoor and...

This week's all-new AppleInsider podcast is now available to download and subscribe in iTunes or SoundCloud, with detailed analysis of this week's news, including Apple's record $700 billion market cap, $850 million investment in solar energy, MacBook Air refresh, Apple TV and the new Phorm iPad accessory.

America's stance on marijuana is changing, and so too are Apple's App Store policies, as the iPhone maker has begun giving the greenlight to cannabis-related apps, provided they are accessed from a state where the drug has been legalized.

We learned earlier this week that Tim Cook would be speaking at a White House cybersecurity summit today, and it now appears he will be the only tech CEO to do so. USNews is reporting that CEOs of other top tech companies all declined President Obama’s invitation, sending lower-ranking execs in their place.

Unlike Apple’s Cook, other top executives at key Silicon Valley companies declined invitations to the summit. Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Yahoo’s Marissa Mayer and Google’s Larry Page will not attend amid the ongoing concerns about government surveillance. Facebook spokesman Jay Nancarrow said Zuckerberg is unavailable to attend and that Chief Security Officer Joe Sullivan will speak during a panel at the event.

Apple on Thursday announced that it is increasing the maximum app size from 2GB to 4GB, letting developers release apps that are up to 4GB in size. The extended limits will likely be useful for high-quality game titles that need the extra space to introduce improved graphical effects or longer playtimes.

The size limit of an app package submitted through iTunes Connect has increased from 2 GB to 4 GB, so developers can include more media in your submission and provide a more complete, rich user experience upon installation. Please keep in mind that this change does not affect the cellular network delivery size limit of 100 MB.

Apple’s 2GB size limit has been in place since the App Store first launched, so the new 4GB limit marks the first-ever size increase. The 2GB...

This is about privacy and the ongoing battle over government access to our emails and digital lives. This is an opportunity to find a path that works for both sides, or at least better understand the issues at stake. Tim Cook will be there. Other notables will not.

Fleksy has updated its popular custom keyboard app with a range of new features, mixing the practical and the fun.

On the practical side, you can now add a row of seven customizable hotkeys that act as shortcuts for anything from an emoji or symbol to an email address. The functionality of the globe button is also now customizable, for example making it dismiss the keyboard, and you can opt for a case-sensitive keyboard layout. More keys have been added to the iPad app, also appearing in the iPhone app in landscape mode, and dictionary words now sync between devices via iCloud …

Fun stuff comprises new animated themes through an Energy Theme Pack, and a valentine extension which makes keys pop with hearts as you type. Pro tip: don’t think that installing this on your...

Apple has now expanded the number of services protected by its two-step verification service, security-conscious users now able to count iMessage and FaceTime among those features protected by the service.

Beginning today, those who have opted in to the two-step verification program will be asked to provide a one-time security code the next time they configure iMessage or FaceTime on a device.

Existing two-step verification users who are already signed into FaceTime or iMessage on their devices do not need to take any additional steps. Two-step verification is automatically enabled, and will be triggered if users log out and log back in or sign in to their Apple ID on another device.

Apple introduced two-step verification as an opt-in feature in 2013. After enrolling and nominating at least one SMS-capable...

Here are some of the best free apps, app updates and new apps that have landed in the App Store recently. All app prices are USD and subject to change. Some deals may expire quickly, so grab them while you can.

Online dating used to be a way for shy, socially awkward people to meet their (shy, socially awkward) soulmates and begin relationships based on, well, more than just looks and sex. But when dating sites moved from the wired Internet to smartphones, well, let’s just say things started to go downhill.

Now, instead of questionnaire-based sites like eHarmony, we have hot-or-not style apps like Tinder. Instead of looking for “the one,” we’re looking for the one who can take the sexiest selfie, and who’s within 25 miles of our house and down to...get coffee.

These days, keeping up with games can be a full-time job. So how do you separate the signal from the noise, the wheat from the chaff, the Temple Runs from the Temple Jumps? Allow us to help by regularly selecting a game You Should Play.

Gunbrick is a hybrid platformer/puzzler that tasks you with “shooting and rolling your way to victory,” to paraphrase developer Nitrome’s description. This challenging title features stylized pixelated art, unlockable adventures, boss fights, and of course, a gunbrick—which is exactly what it sounds like it is. To jump right in, here are the three reasons why Gunbrick stands out as a clear winner.

Apple appears to be aiming to tempt Android and Windows users to try out its iWork apps, making Pages, Numbers and Keynote for iCloud available to anyone, with no requirement to own an Apple device. A new banner promoting the offer was last night added to the iCloud beta site, beta.icloud.com …

The ability to use iWork for iCloud apps is of course of no use without storage space, so accounts created in this way get 1GB of free iCloud storage.

It’s not known at this stage whether Apple plans to roll out the offer to the main iCloud site, or is merely...

Thursday February 12

Read the full article at TidBITS, the oldest continuously published technology publication on the Internet. To get a full-text RSS feed, help support our work and become a TidBITS member! Members also enjoy an ad-free version of our Web site, email delivery of individual articles, the ability to make long comments with live links, and discounts on Take Control orders and other Apple-related products.

Apple has started enforcing a long-ignored rule in its App Store guidelines regarding what kinds of content can appear in app metadata. According to rule 3.6 in the guidelines document:

Apps with App icons, screenshots, and previews that do not adhere to the 4+ age rating will be rejected

This rule has been mostly unenforced since the App Store launched, but according to a new report from Pocket Gamer, some app developers are starting to see their apps rejected for depictions of violence in their screenshots.

Apple may have altered its guidelines for marketing violent games in the App Store, as reviewers are reportedly rejecting some games that have guns or show human violence in their screenshots or app icons.

Multiple developers have told Pocket Gamer that Apple is starting to reject games and updates from the App Store, if they use screenshots that show people holding guns, or being maimed or killed.

I spoke with Apple about this today and they told me the company is being more liberal lately with what it allows in the App Store for images and screenshots. I don’t know the specifics of individual games, but overall, Apple is being more lenient of late.

Running split tests or assessing multiple variants of an application simultaneously has been made easier for iOS developers with Apple's announcement of new TestFlight functionality that lets beta testers be divided into groups.

The Guardian is reporting that two-step authentication -- first enabled for iTunes and iCloud accounts nearly two years ago -- has now been added to FaceTime and Messages as well. If you've already logged into an iPhone, iPad or Mac using your iCloud account, you're already covered by that extra security. But if you log out of your iMessage or FaceTime accounts and then try to log in again, or if you log in from another machine, you'll be required to enter a security code to verify your password and user name.

The size limit of an app package submitted through iTunes Connect has increased from 2 GB to 4 GB, so you can include more media in your submission and provide a more complete, rich user experience upon installation. Please keep in mind that this change does not affect the cellular network delivery size limit of 100 MB.

This is good. As we move farther down the road with apps, they are becoming more complex and require more space. Science apps and games can be especially large, but they are both popular categories.

Leveraging the power of iOS 8 extensions and new system customization options, Workflow debuted on the iPhone and iPad last year bringing a powerful automation app to users. Today the team behind Workflow is releasing version 1.1, which adds support for over 5o new actions in addition to including new features and updating some existing actions. Check out the latest from Workflow for iOS below:

As far as features go, Workflow 1.1 adds a list of new functionality. For instance, Workflow already allows you to drag and drop actions to create tasks on a grid for easily...

Back in September, Apple enabled a two-factor authentication (2FA) security option for iCloud in the wake of a celebrity photo hacking scandal. While this helped protect backups, photos, and other personal data stored using Apple's cloud service, it didn't extend to some other commonly used Apple services. According to a Guardian report, Apple is turning on 2FA for the iMessage and FaceTime services starting today.

If you've already enabled 2FA on your iCloud account, there's nothing else to do—signing into iMessage or FaceTime on a new device will now prompt you to generate an app-specific password on the AppleID management page...

Here are some of the best free apps, app updates and new apps that have landed in the App Store recently. All app prices are USD and subject to change. Some deals may expire quickly, so grab them while you can.

Apps Now Free

Bits Diary [iPhone; Now free, down from $2.99] Why you should blog and journal separately, if you can do both in one application.

Drift Sumi-e [iOS Universal; Now free, down from $0.99] A modern approach on a classic brushstroke art form focusing on capturing the essence of the subject, create a brush line and watch as it comes to life, car gracefully sliding through course.

ZZ Top, the famous beard-heavy blues rockers from Houston, Texas played their first show on February 11, 1970. Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard Knights filled the rafters of the Knights of Columbus Hall off U.S. 90 at a gig arranged by DJ Al Caldwell.

Apple on Thursday updated its security procedures by adding two-step verification to both iMessage and FaceTime. This added step is meant to prevent someone from accessing your account, even if they know your password. [...]

Apple continues to expand the range of offerings covered by its two-step verification scheme, with security-conscious users now able to count iMessage and FaceTime among those features protected by the service.

The size limit of an app package submitted through iTunes Connect has increased from 2 GB to 4 GB, so you can include more media in your submission and provide a more complete, rich user experience upon installation. Please keep in mind that this change does not affect the cellular network delivery size limit of 100 MB.

Our take on the news: It's great news, particularly for game developers and gamers. By building higher quality images and sound files into games, the user experience is going to be even more impressive. In order to keep cellular data customers from maxing out their plans with one quick update, Apple has wisely kept the...

It's time to save some of your hard-earned money with our Daily Deals, featuring exclusive deals for AWT readers, hardware discounts and our own handpicked iOS and OS X sales. All prices are USD and subject to change. Please check prices before you purchase as some deals may expire quickly.

AWT's Daily Deal

Simon 4.0 [OS X; On sale for $49.00, down from $99.00] AppleWorld.Today is pleased to offer an exclusive deal on Simon 4.0 by Dejal Systems Simon is a robust site monitoring tool for OS X that checks servers for changes or failures and notifies you when a change is detected. The app sends a notification via email, sound, speech, Twitter, or a variety of other means.

The native Mac utility can be used to monitor both your own website and servers as well as external sites. You can use it to track your...

iOS app binaries contain both the executable file and all of the images, sounds, and other assets that the app needs—everything from icons to splash screens to UI is all included in one big file. Because of how they're packaged, these binaries can get rather large. Binaries include all the assets for all the devices they support. If you're shipping a universal app that supports all iOS 8 devices, for example, you've got Retina iPhone assets,...

Ever need to transfer files between your Mac and an iPhone or iPad, or have movies that you'd like to watch but don't want to store on your iOS device? The Leef iBridge may be just the answer for your data transfer needs.

Available in 16GB ($59.99), 32GB ($79.99), 64GB ($119.99), and 128GB ($199.99) versions, the iBridge is a tiny black device that holds flash RAM, a MFi-certified Lightning adapter, and a USB adapter in a unique J-shaped casing. A small plastic...

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, who has long clamored for an Apple television set, said on Thursday that he believes a revamped Apple TV set-top box could prove to be a centerpiece for the company's fall 2015 product lineup.

In the wake of a report last month that multiple Apple services remained insecure against hacking attempts, Apple has turned on two-factor authentication for the FaceTime audio/video calling service and iMessage text/picture/voice messaging service, notes The Guardian. Two-factor authentication was previously offered optionally by Apple to secure iCloud accounts against access from previously unknown computers, but other Apple services such as iMessage, FaceTime, the iTunes Store, the App Store, and Apple.com itself were left with only simple passwords for security....

While I am playing much of our strategy close to the (SCOTTe)vest – and keeping a few aces in my pockets (since I am Pocket Man) – I just have to tease some of our favorite developments in our bid to rescue SkyMall.

More than just a catalog. Sure, it looks like a catalog. But SkyMall has always been entertainment first, and shopping second. That’s the secret sauce that made it so compelling. While the “social sharing” of SkyMall’s content was limited to just exposing your travelling companion yet another outrageous product, the content was always entertaining.

We will dial up that entertainment aspect of SkyMall by embracing it as a source of creative content.

I’m a big fan of SCOTTeVEST and, while this seems like an insane waste of money, I hope they pull it off.

Apple announced today that it’s rolling out a new feature for its TestFlight beta distribution service called TestFlight Groups to improve the experience of managing builds with multiple testers.

Apple noted the Groups feature will allow developers to “organize your testers into groups to quickly send specific builds”, provide separate instructions on where to focus, and apply an action to several testers at once in TestFlight.”

The new feature is available to those using Apple’s in beta TestFlight service through iTunes Connect.

Apple acquired the TestFlight beta app testing platform through its purchase of Burstly in February of last year and...

As part of Apple’s weekly App Store refresh, the company is currently highlighting iOS games for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch that are paid apps with no in-app purchases, MacStories points out. The featured section is notable as in-app purchases have been a source of confusion and frustration for many consumers since their introduction despite being an added revenue source for developers and Apple.

Apple has made a number of moves to help its customers avoid issues that spring from the use of in-app purchases, especially in games, both at the request of various government agencies and on its own.

Most recently, Apple moved to change the way app prices are presented to users in its...

Apple today announced that it is increasing the size limit for apps submitted by developers to the App Store through its iTunes Connect service. Previously limited to 2GB, app packages can now be a maximum of 4GB in size. Apple made the announcement on its website for developers earlier today but some apps have been over the 2GB limit since at least January.

Apple noted the change will allow developers to “include more media in your submission and provide a more complete, rich user experience upon installation.”

While the change increases the overall size of app packages, Apple pointed out that doesn’t...

Currently most of us have to inform our bank by phone when we’re travelling to avoid purchases in other countries appearing as red flags for fraud and being declined. That could soon change as Visa looks to track smartphones with a service called Mobile Location Confirmation in order to help their security systems become smarter and reduce declined purchases by as much as 30%.

While infrequent, unnecessary transaction declines can mean lost sales for retailers, additional customer service costs for financial institutions and, ultimately, frustration for the cardholder if unable to make a purchase when traveling… The service uses mobile geo-location data in real time as an...

BusyContacts brings to contact management the same power, flexibility, and sharing capabilities that BusyCal users have enjoyed with their calendars. What’s more, BusyContacts integrates seamlessly with BusyCal forming a flexible, easy to use CRM solution that works the way you do.

The paper on which tonight’s edition is being printed arrived, as it does each week, from four different paper mills—two in Quebec, one in Ontario, and one in Tennessee—where it was packaged into rolls large enough to serve as the business end of a steamroller: 2,200 pounds each and fifty inches in diameter. Eighteen-wheelers carried them to a Times storage facility in the Bronx, where more trucks took twenty rolls each from there to the plant in Queens, where manned forklifts deposited each one in a four-story warehouse that can hold 2,231 just like it.

For all of its problems and issues, The New York Times is still my favourite paper and this is a really interesting story about how it ends up in physical form.

First announced by Steve Jobs in 2006, Apple kicked off construction on its new 176-acre “Campus 2″ in late 2013/early 2014 and expects to move in around 12,000 of its employees when the project is complete. Apple currently plans to wrap up construction by late 2016, so it’s possible the company could move into the new 2.8 million sq ft location starting sometime in early 2017.

Apple has been providing sporadic updates on progress on the site, but we have a more comprehensive timeline below that we’ll update as we...

The Intel Foundation will sell its 4.9 percent stake in Imagination Technologies, the company whose PowerVR graphics processors are a key component of Apple's iPhone and iPad, it was announced on Thursday.

Anki Overdrive is the latest proof that videogames are coming to real life. The tiny AI-powered cars, which surprised robotics and slot-car fans alike when they first hit the market in 2013, will get new customizable tracks—plus hotter designs and abilities—when they arrive this fall.

But this second generation swaps out the simple roll-out mat tracks that the first cars drove on for a set of modular tracks that you can lay out any way you want. The new tracks are made up of plastic pieces that magnetically snap together. You can even create terrain—bridges, banked turns and dead-end cliffs.

I had the original track and, while interesting, it quickly lost our interest because of the track limits. This new setup looks fantastic.

Oh God, what is this?That’s the first thought you might have when a notification appears on your iPhone or iPad prompting you to download a “Carrier Settings Update.”If you’re like me, you’ll shrug and tap the Update button (YOLO!). But others might be a little more wary, and want to know what the update is for and whether it’s safe to download before taking any action.Unfortunately, getting answers to these questions is much harder than it should be.

I had this happen while setting up a friend’s phone yesterday. Finding info on what it is was frustratingly difficult.

In today's60-Second Tip, I show you how to get voicemail messages off of your iPhone and onto your computer, so you can save them for as long as you like.

I was recently asked about saving voice mail messages that are on an iPhone. Specifically, someone had received an especially cute message from their son, and she wanted to keep it for posterity. That's a cute idea, so I looked around for a solution, which I found, and I'll explain here.

We'll pull this off with a piece of software called iExplorer. iExplorer can access the voicemail files that are on your iPhone, and export them to your Mac. There's a free demo version you can use with some restrictions, or unlock all functionality for $34.99 (...

Tactus Technology is introducing a unique, new keyboard case today called Phorm that promises to bring tactile feedback to the typing experience while still using the on-screen touch keyboard. Phorm uses microfluids to raise a segments of a screen protector kept on with a frame and protective case to apply “physical” keys that appear and disappear at the swipe of switch. The goal is to improve typing speed and accuracy when typing with the iPad without requiring a keyboard you have to charge or pair with your tablet. Check out the video below to see Phorm in action.

While I have not had the opportunity to go hands-on with the Phorm case for iPad, the idea of being able to add and remove buttons from the display without assembling and removing another accessory is certainly novel.

Imagine launching Notes or Messages on your iPad or iPhone and having a keyboard full of transparent, physical buttons magically rise from the surface of your touchscreen. Phorm, which was officially announced on Thursday for Apple's iPad mini, promises to deliver the first taste of this intriguing technology in a consumer package.

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and if you haven't yet made arrangements for Saturday, well, we hope these apps may help you turn a potential romantic disaster into a successful day full of kisses.

OpenTable: If you're not already an OpenTable user, you should be. The app is used for browsing and making reservations at more than 32,000 restaurants worldwide. They're usually the type of restaurants that you'd think of for a romantic dinner, too! It takes just a second to download the app, a few minutes to set up your account, and then you can get down to the business of trying to find an "Open Table" for Saturday night. Good luck...

ESPN's official application for iOS was given an overhaul on Thursday, becoming a universal app for iPhone and iPad, gaining support for the larger displays of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, and also getting a fresh coat of paint.

A recently published patent application posted on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office web site shows that Apple has revealed a new concept that would offer improved optical image stabilization using mirrors.

The patent, entitled “Mirror Tilt Actuation,” describes an image sensor for small, multifunction devices like an iPhone that would compensate for the user’s hand movement to improve picture quality.

Apple introduced optical image stabilization in its products last year with the debut of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The smaller iPhone 6 accomplishes this through software, while the larger iPhone 6 Plus also uses hardware OIS for superior image taking capabilities.

In its filing, Apple notes that OIS adjusts the direction of the field of view of the camera to compensate for user motion. This can be accomplished through “lens barrel...

Social media star is an actual job title now, with so-called influencers raking in tens of thousands a month to craft tweets, Vines, and other content for paying brands. Twitter sees this activity and has decided it wants a cut: The company just bought Niche, a talent agency and analytics firm that connects some 6,000 top content creators with advertisers.

Now Twitter and its 6-second video-looping service Vine, where some of social media’s biggest stars were born, control the connection between creators and brands that want to make ads that don’t seem like ads. That means the company presumably gets a cut when popular Viners signed to Niche make clips for brands...

The Obama Administration on Tuesday announced plans to set up a national Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center to integrate all data from government agencies and the private sector, and disseminate it appropriately. Lisa Monaco, assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism, made the announcement following months of research by White House cybersecurity coordinator Michael Daniel's staff. Reactions from cybersecurity experts were mixed.

Tim Cook is scheduled to attend the opening of Apple’s latest offices in Israel early next week, according to a report from Israeli daily business newspaper Calcalist.

The report says the new offices will be located in Herzliya, Israel, and hold around 800 employees in approximately 180,000 square feet.

There is no info on what exactly the company has planned for the new facility, but Apple has run satellite offices in Israel for a few years following its acquisition of NAND flash technology provider Anobit for a reported $390 million back in 2011 and...

Image of Paul Barrington and printed MacBook as published by Express and Echo.

UK resident Paul Barrington fell victim to one of the worst eBay scams. As reported by Express & Echo, he purchased a top-of-the-line MacBook at the incredible price of £300 ($460 USD), in hopes of starting up a new business as a wedding DJ. Barrington left his previous job in child care due to a lung condition and sold his surfboard to acquire the funds for the notebook. His good fortune at finding such an excellent deal turned to despair when he received his package, and all it contained was a printed picture of the prized MacBook.

He shared his unfortunate tale with friends and family and the news...

ESPN is out with a brand new version of its iPhone app today adding native resolution support for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6+ while also debuting on the iPad for the first time. The new app not only sports a new look right down to its icon, but ESPN says it “pulled a Puff Daddy and changed the name.” Previously, the app was branded as ESPN SportsCenter, but now it’s simply “ESPN”.

The version of the sports network’s iOS app also touts a new feature called ESPN Now, which puts “up to-the-...

Apple and Pinterest are teaming up to help you discover apps with a new type of pin on the social bulletin board that leads to the App Store.

App pins are a type of rich pin, which offers more information than a typical pin that consists solely of an image with a link to the original source. Pinterest developed rich pins two years ago and now supports detailed, contextual pins for recipes, places, articles, products, movies, and—with Apple’s help—apps.

How it works

If you’re browsing Pinterest on an iOS device and come across an app pin, the platform will give you the option to install the app directly to your iPhone or iPad. To help Pinterest launch app pins, Apple has curated a collection of lifestyle apps ranging from healthy recipe services to apps for New York Fashion Week.

Karen Webster, in her weekly piece for PYMENTS.com, interviews PayPal’s GM of Retail, Brad Brodigan. She then follows this with some cogent analysis, focused on Apple Pay, PayPal, and friction in the payments market.

Apple has revealed in its annual Supplier Responsibility Progress Report that it has informed four smelters–who provide metals used in the production of the company’s devices–that they will be dropped from the supply chain after refusing to submit to “conflict mineral” audits …

The audits are designed to ensure that the extraction of the minerals used does not finance armed groups associated with human rights violations:

“Tantalum, tin, tungsten, and gold are called conflict minerals because, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and adjoining regions, their extraction may finance or benefit armed groups associated with human rights violations. Apple is dedicated to using only conflict-free minerals in...

Starbucks recently updated its iOS app to version 3.2.1, adding support for Apple Pay. Customers now can use Apple Pay to reload their Starbucks card and then use those funds to make purchases at their favorite Starbucks location. The update also improves the calorie information within the app and enhances the Mobile Order and Pay in Portland, Oregon, which allows customers to place an order ahead of time so it will ready when they arrive.

Our take on the news:

It's great to see Starbucks embracing Apple's latest technology, but it's unfortunate that Apple Pay is not being fully implemented as a payment service during checkout. According to MacRumors, Starbucks retail locations are not equipped with the NFC terminals that are required...

This week’s roundup of new iPhone cases brings you a few options for your Valentine’s Day celebrations, a shimmering alternative for everyday use, and a few all-weather solutions for additional peace of mind.

Carte Blanche

The Brassard (iPhone 4/4S, 5/5S, 5C, 6, and 6 Plus; $20 to $40) is an armband that quickly attaches to your arm, making it the perfect companion for running, working out, or performing any kind of activity where you need to have your hands free.

America’s top wireless providers can no longer refuse to unlock devices for customers who have paid financing plans in full or completed their contract term under a new set of industry rules — agreed to over one year ago — which went into effect yesterday.

As part of the pact, wireless carriers AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, and Verizon, and will notify active customers whose devices are eligible for unlocking. Those who have purchased a used, carrier-locked device can also have those unlocked for a “reasonable fee.”

The carriers will respond to all device unlock requests within two business days, though the actual unlocking time may be slightly longer. Military personnel being deployed overseas can have their device unlocked at any time, as long as their account is in good standing, by showing their carrier their deployment papers...

This may be better news, but keep an eye on your iPhone when you’re in crowds.

Thefts involving smartphones have declined dramatically in three major cities since manufacturers began implementing “kill switches” that allow the phones to be turned off remotely if they are stolen, authorities said on Tuesday.

The number of stolen iPhones dropped by 40 percent in San Francisco and 25 percent in New York in the 12 months after Apple Inc added a kill switch to its devices in September 2013. In London, smartphone theft dropped by half, according to an announcement by officials in the three cities.

“We have made real progress in tackling the smartphone theft epidemic that was affecting many major cities just two years ago,” said London Mayor Boris Johnson.

Johnson, San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon and New York state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman were...

Two days after Apple set a new record for the highest market capitalization of any company, valuing it at more than $700B, billionaire investor Carl Icahn has suggested the true value of the company is close to double this, at $1.3T.

Icahn, who is one of the company’s ten biggest shareholders with stock worth around $6.5B, says that a realistic valuation of the company would be 20 times its earnings per share. Factoring in Apple’s cash reserves of $178B, that would give a share price of $216–for a total company value of $1.3T.

Icahn notes that while he has previously been criticized for over-optimistic valuations of AAPL, 31 analysts have “dramatically increased” their earnings-per-share...

Wednesday February 11

Pinterest today debuted a new type of post that users can expect to see showing up in their feeds soon. The new “app pin” shows additional information, such as an app’s developer, when users link to software in the iOS App Store. These new pins feature a prominent “Install” button that opens a standard App Store preview pane and allows users to install an app without ever having to leave Pinterest.

The change was almost certainly prompted by Apple, as Pinterest also announced that the tech company had created an App Store profile to share both popular and undiscovered applications. The profile currently features collections like “Editors’ Choice” and “Fashion Apps.”

PCalc is a full-featured, scriptable scientific calculator with support for hexadecimal, octal, and binary calculations, as well as an RPN mode, programmable functions, and an extensive set of unit... Read more

FileZilla 3.10.2 - Fast and reliable FTP...

FileZilla (ported from Windows) is a fast and reliable FTP client and server with lots of useful features and an intuitive interface.
Version 3.10.2:
Note: Now requires a 64-bit Intel processor.... Read more

The Hit List 1.1.11 - Advanced reminder...

The Hit List manages the daily chaos of your modern life. It's easy to learn - it's as easy as making lists. And it's powerful enough to let you plan, then forget, then act when the time is right.... Read more

Bartender 1.2.32 - Organize your menu ba...

Bartender lets you organize your menu bar apps.
Features:
Lets you tidy your menu bar apps how you want.
See your menu bar apps when you want.
Hide the apps you need to run, but do not need to... Read more

ClamXav 2.7.5 - Free virus checker, base...

ClamXav is a free virus checker for OS X. It uses the tried, tested, and very popular ClamAV open source antivirus engine as a back end.
I hope you like and use ClamXav a lot and that it helps keep... Read more

xScope 4.1.2 - Onscreen graphic measurem...

xScope is powerful set of tools that are ideal for measuring, inspecting, and testing on-screen graphics and layouts. Its tools float above your desktop windows and can be accessed via a toolbar,... Read more

MacFamilyTree 7.3.3 - Create and explore...

MacFamilyTree gives genealogy a facelift: it's modern, interactive, incredibly fast, and easy to use. We're convinced that generations of chroniclers would have loved to trade in their genealogy... Read more

Skype 7.5.0.738 - Voice-over-internet ph...

Skype allows you to talk to friends, family and co-workers across the Internet without the inconvenience of long distance telephone charges. Using peer-to-peer data transmission technology, Skype... Read more

PushPal 3.0 - Mirror Android notificatio...

PushPal is a client for Pushbullet, which automatically shows you all of your phone's notifications right on your computer. This means you can see who's calling or read text messages even if your... Read more

Gameloft has excitedly announced that Dungeon Hunter 5 is on its way! Once again, you will adventure across the land of Valenthia exploring dungeons and fighting monsters. The game will have a new asynchronous multiplayer mode called Strongholds... | Read more »

It Came From Canada: Jurojin: Immortal N...

At this point it’s pretty safe to say that no MOBA is going to dethrone Dota 2 and League of Legends anytime soon. After all, if Batman can’t do it, nobody can. However, with a genre as popular and profitable as this one, there’s still room for... | Read more »

Final February Fun at 148Apps
How do you know what apps are worth your time and money? Just look to the review team at 148Apps. We sort through the chaos and find the apps you’re looking for. The ones we love become Editor’s Choice, standing out... | Read more »

GDC 2015 – Does Not Commute is Definitel...

GDC 2015 – Does Not Commute is Definitely a Game You Should Keep an Eye on
Posted by Rob Rich on March 2nd, 2015 [ permalink ]
We were teased about Mediocre Games’ (Smash Hit,
| Read more »

F84 Games & POW! Announce Stan Lee V...

F84 Games has announced that it is working with legendary comic creator Stan Lee and POW! Entertainment to produce Stan Lee’s Hero Command. The game will be a action adventure of heroic proportions.
| Read more »

Setlyst Keeps Your Set Straight So You C...

Setlyst Keeps Your Set Straight So You Can Focus On Rocking Out.
Posted by Jessica Fisher on March 2nd, 2015 [ permalink ]
Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
| Read more »

Space is Vast, So Space Agency Has a Vas...

Space is Vast, So Space Agency Has a Vast New Update!
Posted by Jessica Fisher on March 2nd, 2015 [ permalink ]
Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
| Read more »

Size DOES Matter Review

Size DOES Matter Review
By Campbell Bird on March 2nd, 2015
Our Rating: :: HARD TO BEATUniversal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
This rhythm game has a unique control scheme and performance system that make it feel like a true... | Read more »

The first ever action 3D card battler Al...

On the other hand, you probably haven’t played an action 3D card battler – until now. Step forward, All Star Legion.
All Star Legion is a 3D QTE-based action RPG card battler, but fear not – the game itself isn’t as convoluted as its description.... | Read more »

Price Scanner via MacPrices.net

Another Tranche Of IBM MobileFirst For iOS Ap...

IBM has announced the next expansion phase for its IBM MobileFirst for iOS portfolio, with a troika of new apps to address key priorities for the Banking and Financial Services, Airline and Retail... Read more

Sale! 15-inch Retina MacBook Pros for up to $...

B&H Photo has the new 2014 15″ Retina MacBook Pros on sale for up to $250 off MSRP for a limited time. Shipping is free, and B&H charges NY sales tax only:
- 15″ 2.2GHz Retina MacBook Pro: $... Read more

WaterField Designs Introduces the Minimalist...

With Apple Pay gaining popularity, Android Pay coming in May 2015, and loyalty cards and receipts that can be accessed from smartphones, San Francisco’s WaterField Designs observes that it may be... Read more

Sale! 15-inch 2.2GHz Retina MacBook Pro for $...

Best Buy has the 15″ 2.2GHz Retina MacBook Pro on sale for $1774.99 $1799.99, or $225 off MSRP. Choose free home shipping or free local store pickup (if available). Price valid for online orders... Read more

13-inch 2.5GHz MacBook Pro (refurbished) avai...

The Apple Store has Apple Certified Refurbished 13″ 2.5GHz MacBook Pros available for $170 off the cost of new models. Apple’s one-year warranty is standard, and shipping is free:
- 13″ 2.5GHz... Read more

13-inch 2.5GHz MacBook Pro on sale for $100 o...

B&H Photo has the 13″ 2.5GHz MacBook Pro on sale for $999.99 including free shipping plus NY sales tax only. Their price is $100 off MSRP.
Read more

27-inch 3.5GHz 5K iMac in stock today and on...

B&H Photo has the 27″ 3.5GHz 5K iMac in stock today and on sale for $2299 including free shipping plus NY sales tax only. Their price is $200 off MSRP, and it’s the lowest price available for... Read more

Apple Launches Free Web-Based Pages and Other...

Apple’s new Web-only access to iWork productivity apps is a free level of iCloud service available to anyone, including people who don’t own or use Apple devices. The service includes access to Apple... Read more

Survey Reveals Solid State Disk (SSD) Technol...

In a recent SSD technology use survey, Kroll Ontrack, a firm specializing in data recovery, found that while nearly 90 percent of respondents leverage the performance and reliability benefits of SSD... Read more

Save up to $600 with Apple refurbished Mac Pr...

The Apple Store is offering Apple Certified Refurbished Mac Pros for up to $600 off the cost of new models. An Apple one-year warranty is included with each Mac Pro, and shipping is free. The... Read more

Jobs Board

*Apple* Solutions Consultant - Retail Sales...

**Job Summary** As an Apple Solutions Consultant (ASC) you are the link between our customers and our products. Your role is to drive the Apple business in a retail
Read more

*Apple* Pay Automation Engineer - iOS System...

**Job Summary** At Apple , great ideas have a way of becoming great products, services, and customer experiences very quickly. Bring passion and dedication to your job
Read more

Sr. Technical Services Consultant, *Apple*...

**Job Summary** Apple Professional Services (APS) has an opening for a senior technical position that contributes to Apple 's efforts for strategic and transactional
Read more

Event Director, *Apple* Retail Marketing -...

…This senior level position is responsible for leading and imagining the Apple Retail Team's global engagement strategy and team. Delivering an overarching brand
Read more

*Apple* Pay - Site Reliability Engineer - Ap...

**Job Summary** Imagine what you could do here. At Apple , great ideas have a way of becoming great products, services, and customer experiences very quickly. Bring
Read more

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